Filler neck hoses manufactured by polymer components manufacturer Nolato (Torekov / Sweden; www.nolato.se) and containing DuPont Performance Elastomers (DPE, Geneva / Switzerland; www.dupontelastomers.com) fluoroelastomers are attracting new interest from automotive OEM manufacturers. Jan Bäckström, director of marketing and sales for Nolato’s Nolato Sunne business, said two additional leading automotive OEMs will shortly adopt the hoses, with substantial interest from others.

Filler neck hoses are key components in automotive fuel systems, providing a flexible connection between the filler pipe and the fuel tank. The Nolato Sunne hose, which uses a combination of DPE’s “Viton” fluoroelastomer bonded to ethylene acrylic elastomer, was first commercialised ten years ago and is already fitted as standard by several leading suppliers for installation in fuel systems for Volvo, Land Rover and Saab models.

“Nolato’s innovative filler neck hose design consists of two layers – an inner layer of “Viton” fluoroelastomer which provides an effective barrier to evaporative fuel emissions, and an outer layer of ethylene acrylic elastomer for stability and ozone resistance,” said Bäckström. “The big challenge in succeeding with this unusual concept was to develop an fluoroelastomer formula that could run smoothly and consistently while being so strong that it could be over-moulded with another material without being fully cured.”